This invention involves an exercise device to allow a large variety of weight lifting exercises to be performed, including all of the various exercises utilized by a serious weightlifter or body builder. In particular, this invention involves the characteristics and "feel" of free weight lifting exercise essential in the sport of body building, without the inherent loose weight handling problems and massive equipment requirements.
The serious weightlifter and body builder employs the use of free weights; that is dumbells and barbells that are not connected to any device. As the weight is increased for the weightlifter, technique becomes all important. Balance of the weight being lifted close to the uppermost limit of the lifter, is a critical technique. As the weight is increased, the weightlifter must, of necessity, act to balance the weight during the lift and during the required holding time. The muscles and technique required to balance these weights close to the lifter's tolerance level is critical to his performance. Similarly, a body builder wants to develop every muscle, and the muscles required to balance the weight during the lifting exercises are very important and can not be neglected in his regimen.
Lifting with free weights however requires much handling of different quantities of weights and dumbells. This is very tiring and time consuming and decreases the efficiency of performing several different exercises in a short period of time. Also in order to be able to perform the complete variety of exercises required by a serious body builder, massive amounts of dumbells, barbells, and auxiliary lifting equipment such as weight racks and benches are required. This therefore requires that the person join a gym in order to exercise or purchase an inferior all in one type exercise device for use at home.
A number of weight training devices have been described and offered in the market place generally described as "universal" gyms. These machines include several stacks of steel plates with any chosen number being connected to steel cables. The cables are guided by pulleys to various locations of the apparatus. In these devices, the connection is either to multiple stacks of weights connected to the same grasping exercise element or by a single cable to a single set of weights. These devices offer the advantage of relative safety in that when operated alone, the person has little risk of being caught under the weights since movement of the weight stack is channeled and restricted to a single planar movement away from the person exercising. The grasping element utilized to lift the weight stack is also channeled in a single plane of motion on a variety of exercises. This channeled movement against a resistance is not useful in improving the technique of weightlifting and since the device eliminates the need to balance the grasping device, muscles and the technique of holding the weight in a plane are neglected. Similar type exercising devices utilizing one stack of weights to perform various types of exercises are also available. These devices however are limited in the type exercises which can be performed and do not eliminate the problem of channeled single planar movement on certain essential exercises such as the bench press and leg squat. In addition, the effort required to alter these machines to perform different exercises is not practical for a serious body builder who needs to perform 10 to 20 different exercises in each workout and as many as 50 through the course of his entire weekly routine. Thus, all of these devices are useful weightlifting devices but fall short of ultimate weight training and the development of technique that is offered with free weightlifting. Thus, although these devices offer improvements, the serious weightlifter or body builder must ultimately return to free lift exercises.
A number of exercise devices have been described in the prior art, but none of these devices offer the advantages of the present invention nor attain the objects set forth hereinbelow.